“I saw the pride in women’s eyes first hand when I traveled with World Vision to the Dominican Republic in 2010. We met women who had opened their own bakeries and women who were selling purses they had sewn themselves. Their future radically changed by having a skill that set them apart.

This Mother’s Day I am taking a moment to think of what it means to be a mother in America and what it means to be a mother in other parts of the world. While the differences are vast at times I believe in my heart of hearts that much of motherhood is the same. It is about wanting the absolute best for our child. In India, and many other countries that World Vision services, this means giving women and girls the chance for education.”

“It's amazing when you think about how much our lives depend on water. I sometime can't believe how much stinking water I have to drink to lose weight. It's such a hassle. It's a pain in the butt to have to remind my boys to drink while they play, inconvenient to stand at a concert, having just finished my bottle of Dasani, knowing I will have to leave my spot close to the stage and go to the concession stand to purchase another bottle for $3.00.

These are my daily water problems. My life is so hard.

I hope you see where I'm going here. The hashtag "firstworldproblems" is trendy. It's also a slap of perspective. While I complain about having to remind my kids to drink water, there are mothers around the world who would give their lives to have such a minor problem. If I was them and I read this blog post, I'd probably slap me for being so pathetic.

I don't have water problems. I have water works. I live in a world that has excessive amounts of wonderful, clean, refreshing, water, free of parasites, feces, trash. The water in my world works well, I can get to it and it to me and my family anytime I need it.”

“What do I know about Bangladesh? About poverty? About hunger? Nothing. Less than nothing. But know about asking for help. I know that the Christian life is about that symbiotic relationship between asking, receiving, giving, and asking again.

To take Christ at his word is to understand, finally, that we cannot do the most basic things without His help. And that he offers that help with an open hand. We stand at the rock-solid ledge of pride, control, and self. We fling ourselves forward into his Love.”